DISNEY PUTS THE ARM ON ABC

DISNEY PUTS THE ARM ON ABC

Disney owns the ABC network and, of course, it claims never to interfere with programming decisions that might compromise the profession of broadcasting. To those who buy the party line, well, think again.

Regnery has published a great new book by Peter and Rochelle Schweizer called, Disney: The Mouse Betrayed. The book details how the once family-friendly giant became a notorious force for cultural decay. From violations of child labor laws to its role as the number-one promoter of pay-per-view pornography (since abandoned), Disney has evolved into a company that its founder, Walt, would scarcely recognize. By the way, mention is made in the book of the Catholic League’s role in protesting the Disney-Miramax movie, Priest.

The book quickly got the attention of Rhonda Schwartz, a producer for “20/20.” She gave investigative reporter Brian Ross the job of doing lengthy interviews with the Schweizers. But on October 13, it was announced that the story “did not work,” and so it died. “20/20,” you see, is an ABC show.